Interview: Joe Satriani

Q: That's very professional and altruistic. But it shows that karma works: Steve Vai, one of your old students, made the introduction to his record label that led to your record deal, right?

Yeah, he had done a P&D (Production and Distribution) deal. They were about to start Relativity Records, this was out of Queens, NY. He was getting signed for his first collection and I had sent him something that I had just finished and that I was looking at doing myself. He then said that this record label had signed him out of nowhere, and added "they're crazy, if they signed me, then they will definitely sign you; should I send them a tape?" (laughs) You have to remember that Steve and me were getting rejected by everyone...

Q: Yeah but in hindsight, people say "no way." It's like Van Gogh's work, after the fact, he was a genius! You and Steve would stand there and shred away... not every record label executive could understand that, right?

Exactly. Steve made the introduction to Flip Cotrelli, he's turned into a great friend. He's worked on every single record with Relativity, until Sony changed the label into a rap label.

Q: If I am not mistaken, with your first record, you did literally record it yourself?

With the first EP, it was very avant-garde. It was only guitars, no drums and no bass. And then the next step was when I got a credit card in the mail, I then financed the recording of a "real album" with keyboards and drums. That was on Rubina records, that was my label.

Q: Looking back, it's a great story, but I am sure at the time it must have been a pain...

They thought I was crazy — I was. I remember seeing a review in Guitar Player magazine and thinking, they think this Joe Satriani is off his rocker... they don't know who I am, they just listened to this avant-garde album and they took me seriously. But even though some people said "you'll never make it," I remember seeing reviews like that and saying, "you know what, the [magazine] was right, I will make it..."

¿ Quick fact ?Of the celebrities that Satriani would like to play with most, Jimmy Page tops the list.

Q: Well, it seems to me that you did make it, because a certain band named Deep Purple, who has made some news throughout music history, asked you to join them...

Yes, yeah... boy, I could not do that. In 1988, I toured with Mick Jagger and wanted to know how the fans in the world would react. My job was not as bad as some of the other guitarists. I was the lead guitarist, I was representing Mick Taylor, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, and all of these people who had contributed to Mick's work, and Surfing With the Alien had just come out, so people would cut me some slack... but the other guitarists were, you know, they gave me crap all the time, my job was to sound like Keith Richards... so when this Deep Purple opportunity came up to replace Ritchie Blackmore, I turned it down at first, but then I changed my mind because I was a die-hard Deep Purple fan and thought it would be a good exercise in life... so I did it, but then I didn't try to take over the job, I felt that if I was convincing their fans that I was celebrating Deep Purple and not trying to take anyone's place, it would go better.

We did two tours. We did some shows in Japan and then some in Europe, but I had to get back to my life. There were different reasons, they were a little bit older than I was... they were all English, I was American. I was just an Italian American from Long Island, what was I doing in Deep Purple? I just thought that I should go back to doing my own thing.

Q: Speaking of good guitarists, I like the G3 albums you've done; you've worked with Michael Shanker, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, who would you love to have worked with — past or present?

Besides Jango Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian? Okay, let's focus on the living... believe it or not, every year we start off, we start off by inviting Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Just for the hell of it. Because one of these days, you never know.

Q: I could see Jimmy Page... I mean, no one thought he would do Coverdale/Page...

You're right, and when he did the shows with the Black Crowes, I was like, cool, maybe he would do it. I was not a guitar player when those guys were playing, but I came of age in an era after them and to me, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, they are a part of my playing, the basis of so much that I do and I would do anything to play with them. I've never met any of them unfortunately...

Q: Well, how come? I am sure you could just show up to one of the gigs, when and if they are playing, and go backstage. You are among the top guitarists of this era, of the past 10 to 20 years, so one would imagine that they'd be interested in meeting you...

Well, you are being very kind, but you know, the music industry is very odd. You can have the hardest time running into people, but the flip side is that I have no idea how I ended up touring with Mick Jagger and Deep Purple. I am also a great Billy Gibbons fan. Brian May has jammed with us every time we've been in London... we have had some stellar shows with so many different people, but to get back to your original question: Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons, and Brian May.